


So She's a Bit of a Fixer Upper

by ellacj



Series: Come On, Come Out the Door [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:39:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2390342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellacj/pseuds/ellacj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say you can fix a fixer upper up with a little bit of love, but maybe this one doesn't need to be fixed at all.</p><p>Sequel to "Love is an Open Door"</p>
            </blockquote>





	So She's a Bit of a Fixer Upper

Emma sighs and switches off the TV. Snow insisted upon watching _Frozen_ , claiming it would help them figure out how to defeat Elsa, and fell asleep half an hour in. “Way to go, Ma,” she mutters. Collecting the dishes from the popcorn and hot cocoa and bringing them to the sink, Emma stifles a yawn. It’s way too late to be awake and yet, here she is.

Her phone chimes in her pocket and after wiping her hands on a towel, she checks it. It’s a text. From Regina.

_Thought about what you said. Consider the door open._

Emma smiles softly. **_I’m glad. Think we could talk without a door between us?_**

_Come to my home at noon tomorrow. I’ll cook._

Emma replies an affirmative, shutting her phone off for the night and going to bed with a wide grin on her face.

 

“I’m never gonna get used to your lasagna,” Emma moans appreciatively around the first bite. “God, this is amazing.”

Regina gives her an amused smirk as she sits down across from her and takes a dainty bite from her own lasagna. “Thank you.”

“So. Elsa. Any thoughts?”

“Well… from what I can tell based on my sole interaction with her, she’s quite uncomfortable with herself and her powers. She thinks she’s a monster.”

“Yeah?”

Regina shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “She reminds me of myself when I began learning magic. She needs someone to show her that not all magic is dark magic. She needs what I never had.”

Emma nods slowly. “So she needs someone to help her _let it go_?”

“Emma, this is a serious matter, and if you won’t treat it as such, the door is that way.”

“Sorry, sorry, I just joke a lot when I get nervous. You know that.”

“Yes, well, I may have grown used to your absence.”

There’s a long, more than slightly uncomfortable silence before Regina clears her throat and stands up. “I may be able to speak to her. She seems as though she’d listen to a voice of reason to help her.”

“Thank you.”

Regina swipes her tongue along those plump red lips, and Emma finds herself momentarily distracted by the movement. “Henry brought me the _Frozen_ DVD.”

Emma raises her eyebrows. “He did?”

“He said he wants me to know what we’re up against.”

“And? What did you think?”

Regina glances at the floor for a second before meeting Emma’s eyes. “I haven’t watched it yet.”

“How come?”

“I was going to watch it now.”

“Oh.” Emma turns toward the door. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“You don’t have to,” Regina says quickly. “I mean… you can stay. If you want.”

“Yeah? I think I might.”

Regina smiles – albeit a little awkwardly – and gestures toward the living room. “After you.”

Emma sits down on the couch, stifling a noise of appreciation at the soft leather beneath her. Regina goes to the TV to put in the DVD and it takes everything in Emma’s power not to openly ogle that perfectly sculpted ass.

As the opening titles flashes across the screen, Emma glances to her left to see Regina leaning against the opposite arm of the couch with her legs tucked beneath her. She ignores the disappointment in her stomach at the thought that Regina’s sitting as far away from her as possible and turns her attention to the movie.

It’s about halfway through the trolls’ song when Regina speaks. “I don’t like this.”

Emma jumps at the sound of Regina’s voice much closer than she remembers them sitting. She turns her head and sees Regina a foot away from her at most, her expression unchanged. “How come?” she asks, voice catching in her throat.

“Because they’re telling her that if she loves him, then his flaws will go away. I don’t like it because… because loving someone means loving their flaws – not wanting them to go away.”

Emma nods thoughtfully. “Yeah. This movie never was good at capturing the essence of love. But it does seem to get Elsa and Anna pretty dead-on.”

“Yes, it does.”

The next time Regina speaks is during Hans’ betrayal. “He’s smart.”

“What?” Emma casts a glance over to her again, surprised to see her face just inches away. She glances down at their joined hands – when did that happen? – and swallows once.

“He wanted power, and he found a way to get it. Anna was so naïve and obviously smitten with him; it would have been child’s play to exploit that. Morally wrong, yes, but it gets results.”

Emma frowns. “You say that like you understand him.”

“I used that trick myself once, long ago,” Regina says quietly. “It was a dire situation. I’m not proud of it, but I’d do it again if I ever found myself living that away again.”

“Who?”

“Sidney Glass.”

“That’s why he was practically in your pocket,” Emma realizes. “He thought he had a chance with you.”

Regina grimaces. “Like I said, I’m not proud of it. I know what it’s like to have your heart used like a child’s plaything. But I couldn’t endure it any longer.”

“Endure what?”

Regina’s eyes are haunted and dark when she looks up to meet Emma’s gaze. “Being married to your grandfather.”

Emma chews on the inside of her cheek. “He didn’t… did he?”

“He did.”

“Oh my god, Regina… I had no idea.”

Regina smiles sadly. “It’s not exactly something I enjoy talking about. But Emma, you can’t tell your mother. She has him up on his pedestal… I wouldn’t want to ruin that for her.”

Emma tilts her head, studying Regina’s face. “You care about her, don’t you?”

Regina narrows her eyes. “If I say yes, will you keep it to yourself?”

“Maybe.”

“Yes. I do. Are you happy?”

Emma grins. “Yeah.”

Regina makes a face, but she doesn’t move away. Instead, Emma thinks she moves closer. It’s just a fraction of an inch, but she’s definitely closer. Emma’s gaze flickers to Regina’s lips for the briefest of seconds and back up to the wide brown eyes dancing with emotion.

“Can I kiss you?” Emma asks.

“Yes,” Regina breathes.

Kissing Regina is a thousand times better than all the times she’s imagined doing just that – which is a lot. She tastes like the really classy red wine imported from Paris, the really tangy part of an apple, and just the faintest hint of sweet vanilla. Emma smiles into the kiss as their lips move against one another, for the first time in forever feeling like she’s gotten something really good.

Unfortunately, a need for oxygen is what eventually breaks them apart. “Hey,” Emma murmurs, meeting Regina’s eye.

Regina smirks. “Hey.”

“Look, Regina. I’m still so sorry for ruining your happiness with Robin. But I told you I’m going to bring you your happy ending. And I think I could be part of that.”

“Emma,” Regina murmurs, running her thumb over Emma’s cheek. “I want you to know that the Evil Queen is still inside me. She could still make an appearance. She’s never going to go away.”

“I know. But it’s like you said, right? I have to love every part of you, even your flaws. Look, Regina, you may be a bit of a fixer upper, but I have no intention of trying to fix you.”

Regina smiles softly. “Thank you.”

“So… the door’s open then?”

“It was always open. You just had to get creative to go through it.”

Emma smirks. “Yeah? How’s this for creative?” She leans forward and kisses Regina again, reveling in the soft sigh that escapes the other woman’s lips.

“I think that’s acceptable.”

“Snow’s gonna flip her shit when she finds out.”

Regina grins, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “She’ll just have to let it go.”


End file.
